The copperbelly’s red-striped tummy is a thing of beauty to behold; unfortunately, this has made the snake vulnerable to collection from enthusiasts looking for an exotic pet. But the main damage has been done by habitat fragmentation. The water snake needs large, unbroken areas of water to roam. These sorts of areas have been broken up for agriculture, roads and housing. Now only around 200 copperbelly water snakes remain in the north.